Contents

Course Description

APBI490 "Sustainable Fruit Production: Theory & Applications" provides an integrative overview of core production methodologies utilized in fruit crop production with a focus on the main crops: apples, cherries, wine-grapes, blueberries, and cranberries. Although conventional approaches will be discussed, an agroecological systems approach will be introduced in the context of main fruit production systems in order to assist students in developing a theoretical and practical approach to more ecological and economically sustainable fruit production. Fruit industry regulations and current trends in fruit production will be covered.

Course Overview

In BC, total farm income in nearly equally split between land livestock animals and plant production. Horticulture dominates the plant systems, with fruit crops being a prominent part of BC horticulture. BC leads Canada in fruit production and sales. In 2010, total farm-gate sales for fruit crops in BC were $274 million. Most fruit crops in BC are grown as monocultures and as a result, human inputs are relatively high while biodiversity is low. Disease pressure on strawberries has been especially strong, but all fruit crops have/are facing difficulties with insect-pest and disease pressures - most having relied to some extent on the development of chemical controls to maintain productivity. Various apple producers in the interior and some berry growers in the Fraser Valley stand out in terms of the potential leadership role they take in regards to adoption of sustainable practices and an agroecosystems approach to farming.
APBI 490 will provide an integrative overview of core production methodologies utilized for fruit crop production with a focus on the main crops: apple, cherries, wine-grapes, blueberries, and cranberries, with minor coverage of other fruit crops. Topics include the rational matching of suitable fruit varieties to eco-sites/farmland, propagation and growing of fruit crops, major pest/disease management issues, and harvest/storage technologies. Both major strengths and weakness in the current mainstream approaches will be considered; however, for each main crop, there will be some emphasis on approaches that do or could make each fruit-cropping system more ecologically and economically sustainable.

Course Structure and Operation

APBI 490 is designed as a 3-credit course with a 50-minute class three times a week and a three hour lab once a week. Labs will include field trips to local berry farms, vineyards, and orchards to illustrate each system. Some greenhouse labs will be included to demonstrate various aspects of canopy morphology and management, propagation, and fruit qualities (including post-harvest). Pre-requisites: minimum 3rd year standing. Contact: David McArthur david.mcarthur@ubc.ca, 604-209-5243.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will:

Be familiar with key botanical and growth characteristics of major temperate-zone fruit crops and relate growth and development typical in their native ecosystems to that in managed agroecosystems.

Be able to assess crop growth for both productive and problem traits, consider conventional approaches to problem traits, and from an agroecological perspective recommend modifications to problem-solve.

Be able to describe key components in the setup and management of conventional fruit production systems and compare these systems designed with an agroecological, systems approach.

Be able to discuss the interrelationships between agriculture systems and associated ecosystems and the impact of these on each other (considers insect/animal pests and diseases).

Understand major attributes of the harvested fruit crop and differences between species/variety in terms of their post-harvest physiology, and relate these to post-harvest storage behaviour and storage issues for each major fruit crop discussed.

Identify major ecological and economic factors affecting the sustainability of select fruit crop and wine-grape systems and provide recommendations for improving sustainability.

Course Evaluation

Activity

Percentage of Grade

Lab Assignments/Field Reports

30%

Midterm Exam

30%

Final Exam

40%

Lab Assignments (30%): Lab activities and assignments will focus initially on fruit crop morphology and development. Field trips will allow students to map out the setup of available fruit crop systems and how they are basically managed. Students will be required to evaluate the orchards/vineyards/plantings for key indicators of sustainability. Follow-up assignments will require students to incorporate agroecological and sustainability principles in their recommendations for improving the sustainability of each different fruit-crop system visited.

Midterm Exam (30%): The midterm will be composed of short answer and paragraph questions on materials covered in lectures and laboratories/field trips.

Final Exam (40%): The final examination will be based primarily on an integration of material covered after the midterm. The final exam will be composed of short answer, paragraph and short essay questions on materials covered in lectures and laboratories.

Primary Literature

Textbook search/selection in progress; however, the following has been used for development of core topics:

Course Lecture & Lab Schedule

Overview of global production of major temperate zone fruit crop species with highlights of fruit crops/wine-grapes grown in BC

A starting discussion: an example of a commercial fruit production system - pros and cons; ecological and economic considerations. Are there alternate model systems that potentially offer greater sustainability?

Week 2-4: Small Fruits

Blueberry (highbush)

Botanical characteristics: anatomy, growth habit, ecology

Main cultural systems including propagation, post-harvest issues and IPM backgrounder

Brief overview and discussion of other small fruit crops in BC: strawberries, raspberries

Week 5: Agroecology Issues in Small Fruit Production

Summary discussion of small fruit models and Reading Assignments

Should small fruit production come from monoculture, polyculture, permaculture? Companion-planting and cover-cropping. Organic or IPM? What agroecosystem model functions most sustainably? Future directions?

Week 6-8: Wine-grapes

MIDTERM

Botanical characteristics: anatomy, growth habit, ecology

Main cultural systems including propagation, IPM background (organic and biodynamic)

Post-harvest issues including and relating to winemaking processes

The BC Wine Authority, BC Wine Institute, and the "Wines of Marked Quality (VQA)" program